Jousting Armor (Rennzeug) of King Philip I of Castile (1478–1506)

c. 1494

Jousting Armor (Rennzeug) of King Philip I of Castile (1478–1506), c. 1494. Workshop of Lorenz Helmschmied (German, active Augsburg, 1477–1515). Iron, forged, driven, brass, leather; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Lent by the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Hofjagd- und Rüstkammer, Vienna 8.2022 The loan of this armor was made possible by a gift from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation This suit was made for King Philipp I of Castile, heir to the Holy Roman Empire before his untimely death, to wear at the wedding of his father, Emperor Maximilian I. The highly specialized armor, known as a Rennzeug, was intended for use in the Rennen, or joust of war, a friendly but dangerous combat in German-speaking lands where two riders mimicked a battle. For such a joust, contestants were armed with pointed lances and helmets with only a narrow sight, or opening, to protect the eyes. The asymmetrical armor includes a large wood-and-leather shield, or targe, attached to the breastplate, which would have been the opponent’s target. This suit was made for a form of a joust that was normally held in an open field with no barrier between combatants and a pointed lance.